WORLDWIDE NEWS OF RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE FOR 2002-SEPT.

2002-SEP-5: Israel: There has been a lull in
Palestinian suicide attacks in Israel during the past month. Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon has said that he sees hope for a peace agreement
with the Palestinians. He told Israel TV's Channel Two that: "Now for
the first time I see a possibility of opening the road to a political
settlement." The European Union has proposed a new peace plan
which is a combination of previous plans. Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig
Moeller has been visiting the Middle East, attempting to sell the proposal
to all interested parties. He has the backing of the European Union, and
agreement from the leading Arab nations in the area. Chairman Arafat of
the PLO has accepted the plan in principle. However, Prime Minister Sharon
has expressed reservations. He is reported as feeling that its timetable
for establishing a Palestinian state by 2005 is "not realistic." In
the past, Sharon has suggested that he would accept statehood for
Palestine if a long period of absolute peace without any violent
incidences has been sustained. 10

2002-SEP-9: School for witches opens in Austria:
A six-semester course is now available in Klagenfurt, in southern Austria.
School director Andreas Starchel, (a.k.a. Dakaneth) said: "Wizardry is
very close to nature and is in no way a form of religion." Students
will attend classes in astrology, magic, history of magic, meditation and
divination. Later, they will practice preparing potions, making talismans
and performing rituals. A spokesperson for the school said: "In the
past, witches and wizards were people recognized by society, who used
their divining powers and learning to mediate between the visible and
invisible worlds. Etymologically, 'witch' means someone who is on the
border between our world and the beyond. [The courses will] restore
contact with nature, which has been lost by our society." Ananova
reports "...Celtic and druidic learning and nature studies play a large
part in Starchel's teachings. Stories of the legendary Lord Voldemort and
classes in Defense Against the Dark Arts featured in JK Rowling's Harry
Potter books do not." 11

2002-SEP-8: KY: Woman peacefully disrupts a KKK rally:
The KKK is probably the most famous hate group in the U.S., expressing
hatred against non-Christians, non-whites, and sexual minorities. At a
rally in Bowling Green in 2002-AUG, Laquetta Shepard, a black woman,
silently stepped away from an area reserved for KKK protesters, into a
cordoned-off area where a small group of KKK supporters were holding a
meeting. She stool tall with
tears in her eyes, as the KKK members appear to have knelt in prayer. The KKK
meeting adjourned 40 minutes early.

She called it: ''Just a small act turned really big." In spite
of being called a "monkey" by the KKK members, she stood
her ground. She has been deluged
with Emails, letters and phone calls from hundreds of people. Kelvin Datcher, outreach coordinator for the Southern Poverty Law Center
in Montgomery, AL said: ''When I saw the photo and read the story, it
was a really powerful moment. 'We track hate groups all across the
country. Our normal course is to recommend that people not attend these
events. What happened there is a great testament to one lady's internal
strength.'' 12

2002-SEP-22: Israel: Palestinian girl received a kidney from a
Jewish bombing victim: Yasmin Abu Ramila, 7, a Palestinian girl from East
Jerusalem, received a critically important kidney transplant from Jonathan Jesner, 19, a Jewish
seminary student from Scotland. Jesner was one of six Israelis who died
after a Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a bus in Tel Aviv. Ari Jensers,
the victim's brother, said: "The family is very proud that (Jonathan)
was able to give life to others. [The most important
principle] is that life was given to another human being. I think its
unimportant what religion, what nationality....We are glad their daughter
was able to be saved," he said. "Life here is a bit of a lottery." Abu
Ramila's mother, Rina, is quoted as having said: "I don't know what to
say to thank the family of the man killed in the attack. I grieve for
their loss and thank them for their donation." 13

2002-SEP-25: OH: Families in Kent OH stand up for mosque: On
Sept. 15, someone shot at the Islamic Community Center in Cuyahoga
Falls, OH. It left behind bullet holes in the prayer hall. On SEP-24,
someone threw a log through a glass door of the Kent mosque. David
Odell-Scott, an associate professor of philosophy and coordinator of
religion studies at Kent State University, his family, and about nine
other families went door-to-door gathering words of support and raising
financial support for the mosque. Odell-Scott said: "The mosque has
been a good neighbor. We just wanted them to know that we care, and they
have our support. And, as parents, we are looking at how we can educate
our kids to be good citizens." Ihsan Haque, president of the
Islamic Society of Akron and Kent said: "I am impressed and really
thankful. The true American spirit is in place." 14

References:

DayWatch is a daily service of Maranatha Christian
Journal. It provides "a daily summary of news headlines
with a Christian perspective..." The newsletter is free on
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WorldNewsToday.net, WebCastGuide.net, and
ChristianCollegeGuide.net

EWTN is a news service of the Roman Catholic Church. It posts
news items from Newsline, Newslink, and The World Over on its Internet
site at: http://www.ewtn.com/news/index.htm

Alternative Religions
Educational Network (AREN) is an information organization located
in Philadelphia. It has monitored discrimination against Wiccans
throughout North America for three decades. Their web page is at: http://aren.org